Currying peace: Hindu chef cooks for Muslims during Ramadan

Throughout Ramadan, faithful Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. While they do not consume food or water during the day, and this year during the hottest months, they do enjoy small meals before sunrise (called the suhoor) and after sunset (known as iftars).

Usually involving dates and other light options, such as apricots or fish, the sought-after Chef Kiran Verma of Houston is hosting an event to show how to put a modern-Indian twist on traditional Ramadan recipes. The cooking class will be held at the Fiesta Culinary School on July 25 starting at 6:30pm.

Given her passion for preparing food for her guests, her own spiritual history and perspective on the power of sharing food, Chef Verma believes events such as interfaith iftars are perfect opportunities for peace making between people of different religions.

For the last few years, Verma has hosted and catered iftars at her restaurant and throughout Houston. She said that Muslims come to her restaurant to find high-quality halal foods which uphold the precise rules of Islamic consumption. While she does not serve halal meat and foods all the time, she makes a special effort for Muslims during Ramadan. Despite the sandstone sculpture of Krishna at the entrance to Kiran’s restaurant, Muslims from Bangladesh come each year to pray in one room and dine in another at Verma’s restaurant on Westheimer. Verma said. “It’s really quite the meal,” she said, “dates, fresh fruits, lemonade, lamb kabob, samosas with potatoes, lamb biryani, fish curry, chicken tikka masala, vegetable dishes a dessert called ‘mishti doi’ made of saffron, honey yoghurt and fresh berries.”

Verma has always been passionate about food, and food well prepared. You could even say Verma is well seasoned to cook for important religious events, although her preparations have not traditionally been for Muslims, but for Hindus. Growing up in Houston, Verma’s family would regular host religious gatherings of local Hindus. “Before there were temples we gathered for puja, religious acts of devotion, in each other’s homes,” said Verma, “we would have 70, 80 people stuffed into a one room apartment.”

“Part of the Hindu faith is eating with other devotees,” she said, “we were dedicated to the faith, to family, to our food.” And so, Verma said, her devotion to cooking began with being devoted to religion.

Although an estimated 250 million Muslims live in India, the second largest population in the world behind Indonesia, Verma’s first interactions with Muslims came when she was living in Sugar Land, just south of Houston. For more than 28 years, Verma enjoyed a close relationship with her Pakistani neighbors. Their children played together, they shared meals together and as they interacted, they discovered that they had many similarities. Despite the constant tension between Muslims in Pakistan and Hindus in India, Verma said, “I felt like we connected more than even Hindu families could connect.” She said, “I would listen to them read from the Qur’an and say, ‘that sounds like Hinduism,’” she said. “As we shared meals, we came to the realization that we are the same, we are one people,” Verma said.

Now, she tries to recreate that same spirit, and spark similar relationships, through the preparation of succulent iftar meals derived from her forward thinking and modern Indian menu.

At the cooking event on Thursday night she will introduce attendees to both her succulent menu options and her ideal of cooking good, wholesome food, for people of all faiths and backgrounds. The menu for the evening consists of shrimp bhuna, saffron rice pulao, daal pancham and mishti doi. The Chef is most excited about the shrimp dish because, “it’s very easy to make, and it’s a lighter meal after fasting all day.”

Verma hopes people not only enjoy the food she prepares, but the atmosphere and attitude she composes. “Shared meals bring people close because we are happily satisfied together; you don’t think negative thoughts, it takes you to a positive place,” she said.

While people may be surprised that an Indian Hindu is cooking for a Muslim holiday, Verma said, “I just always feel that when I cook for different cultures or sects that it makes them feel like we are one.”

*For more on religion, culture and food – follow @kchitwood on Twitter.

One Response

Thanks for the informative post Ken. Being a Hindu she serves a lot of vegetarian dishes, with these dishes Muslims have no problem of halal/haram as there is no meat involved, so she has a good niche already.
She is a good marketing manager to use her talents and offer dishes that are halal to the Muslims, this opens up her business for more customers.
And one has to give her credit for making the effort, it is a good interfaith interaction.
Regards